Sri Lanka’s political shift: Historic turn toward Left

By Roy Alex

Kandy, Sept 23, 2024: After landing at the Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport on September 1, I noticed several large red hoardings while traveling towards Kandi city in Sri Lanka.

These posters prominently featured the striking image of a young man with a beard. The text on the hoardings was in Sinhala, which I couldn’t read, so I asked a Sri Lankan friend for clarification. He explained that the person on the hoardings was Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the National People’s Power (NPP), a rising political figure in Sri Lanka.

My friend gave me further insight into the political background of the NPP, explaining that the party is deeply rooted in Communist ideology, stemming from the pro-China faction of the Sri Lankan Communist Party. Anura Kumara Dissanayake began his political career with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), or People’s Liberation Front, which had been involved in several armed uprisings.

Over time, the JVP’s political stance evolved significantly, and it was legalized in 1994, becoming part of the political mainstream by entering Parliament. Anura Kumara served as Minister of Agriculture in President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government in 2004 and rose to prominence as the JVP’s leader by 2014.

In 2018, he formed the National People’s Power (NPP) alliance, bringing together over two dozen small political groups, professionals, academics, and activists. I happened to witness one of the rallies organized by the NPP in Kandy, which was notably attended by Buddhist monks and other religious leaders.

Many individuals I met expressed confidence in the potential victory of Anura Kumara Dissanayake. However, their support wasn’t necessarily anchored in the party’s political proposals or the ideological underpinnings of Communism. Instead, it reflected a profound sense of disillusionment with Sri Lanka’s traditional political structures.

People felt that supporting Dissanayake was not just about endorsing a set of policies, but rather a way to challenge and protest the deep-rooted power dynamics that have dominated Sri Lankan politics for decades. The growing support for his leadership seemed to symbolize a desire for change, a break from the status quo, and a hope for a different future.

As predicted, on September 22, Anura Kumara Dissanayake emerged victorious, winning 15 out of Sri Lanka’s 22 districts. His vote share surged dramatically from 3.16 percent in 2019 to 42.31 percent in the first round. However, this was not enough to secure victory, as the electoral process requires 50 percent plus one vote to win outright.

Following an unprecedented second round of vote counting to include preference votes, a first in Sri Lanka’s electoral history, he was officially declared president-elect by the Election Commission.

This was a clear mandate from the people of Sri Lanka, rejecting the corrupt government and political leaders responsible for the 2022 economic crisis. The country, unable to pay for essential imports like food, fuel, and medicine, had declared bankruptcy. In response, mass protests, known as Aragalaya (Sinhala for “struggle”), united Sri Lankans across ethnic, religious, and social divides, calling for political change. Widespread frustrations with power cuts and shortages of basic necessities fuelled protests that led to the ousting of the long-entrenched Rajapaksa family.

In 2022, Ranil Wickremesinghe assumed the presidency with the support of the Rajapaksa party and attempted to stabilize the economy with the assistance of the International Monetary Fund. However, Anura Kumara and the NPP capitalized on this moment, channelling the fundamental demands of the Aragalaya movement by waging a campaign against corruption. Through well-organized rallies and a strong social media presence, he positioned himself as a voice of radical change. Many Sri Lankans, especially the youth, saw him as the only viable alternative to the entrenched political order.

This is a critical moment not only for the new president but for all Sri Lankans. The president’s foremost challenge will be tackling the deep-rooted corruption that played a central role in the country’s economic collapse in 2022. He must steer Sri Lanka toward economic rejuvenation and emancipation by implementing critical reforms and taking decisive action.

The country’s foreign policy is expected to remain neutral, avoiding alliances, particularly with key neighbouring nations like India and China. Ultimately, his success will depend on fostering unity across ethnic, religious, and political divides.

(Father Alex Roy is a member of the Kerala Jesuit province now undergoing tertianship at Kandy, Sri Lanka.)